Friday, 13 May 2011

Kitchen Nightmares - Dillons / Purnima - CLOSED

Episode Recap

Chef Gordon Ramsay visits Dillons situated in the heart of New York City, owner Mohammed has employed three managers, General Manager Martin, Operations Manager Andrew and Floor Manager Khan, in an effort to keep afloat but they have confusing roles. The menu has everything on it, Martin describes the restaurant as "An American-Irish restaurant with an Indian ness to it". Despite the extensive please everyone menu the restaurant is losing money. Gordon arrives at the restaurant, a stones throw or two blocks from his restaurant The London situated in New York. His first impressions aren't good with the flashing LED light promising real Indian cuisine.

Gordon is seated in the restaurant and isn't impressed with the white sheets interior, wobbly table and the emptiness of the dining room. He swats away flies as he looks over the giant menu. He asks the server if there are two kitchens and is surprised to hear that they cook it all from the one kitchen. As the Indian chefs aren't able to cook the American Dishes, the Operations Manager Andrew has to step in and cook the salmon dish, featuring frozen salmon as they have run out of the fresh. Gordon prays to not get food poisoned again before digging in. He is forced to send back the assorted vegetarian appetisers as they is meat in them and says thank God he isn't a paying customer. The main dishes are equally disappointed with a dirty plate and a rotten tomato garnishing the dish. He cuts into the meat that he is meant to be beef but he quickly sees that it is lamb and Andrew arrives at the table to check on Gordon's food and confesses that he had made the salmon dish. Gordon asks Andrew to sample the dish and he is not impressed either. Gordon enters the kitchen and as the chefs are unable to speak English Mohammed has to translate Gordon's criticism of the food. The Chef says that he made a mistake and served Gordon old lamb as he was nervous.

Gordon arrives to witness a dinner service and still doesn't understand why the restaurant needs three managers. He witnesses the customers confusion at the diversity of the menu as there is so much choice in this "Indian" restaurant. The Chefs put a huge tub of chicken on the floor, Gordon yells at them and tries to find a manager to translate this to them. Nearly an hour into the service no food has left the kitchen because of the chaos in the kitchen. Andrew is "leading" the kitchen and Khan isn't speaking up whereas Martin is nowhere to be found as he is off somewhere on his mobile phone. Gordon summons Martin to explain why one cook is stood in the kitchen doing nothing whilst the kitchen is busy. Gordon gets into an argument with Martin calling him a fake as he "gets off" hanging out with waitresses with them playing with his hair. He accuses him of taking advantage of Mohammed by not doing his job but taking his money and it escalates into Gordon calling him a "General Tosspot". The evening in the restaurant is a disaster too, the customers aren't happy with the flies in the dining room or the food and some customers aren't served any food and leave unfed!

Gordon returns the next day for an inspection of the kitchen. The first thing he finds is a fly paper trap on the ceiling that is full of dead flies. Things go from bad to worse when he discovers mouldy and rotten meat and vegetables and they get even worse. Everywhere Gordon turns there are cockroaches, rat droppings and rat traps. The bugs are even inside the fridges, the boxes and all over the place. Gordon points out the rotten food to the managers who don't really react at all. The worst is yet to come when Gordon spots a half rotten tomato which means the other half has just been served to a customer! Gordon orders them to shut down the kitchen and ask the three tables of brave customers to leave. Gordon arrives that evening in an exterminator suit bringing in an army to help clean the restaurant. He orders the managers to pitch in and they are to throw away all the disgusting food and help clean the kitchen. Gordon takes Mohammed and the managers on a trip to his restaurant to show them how clean it is and to show them the cleaning regime they follow to keep the kitchen clean.

On returning to the restaurant Gordon introduces his plans for the menu, they will be serving modern Indian cuisine and shows the chefs a nice scallop dish. A very happy cute little smiley chef gives Gordon the tightest hug that goes on forever and he has to be told by Mohammed to let go! Gordon then introduces Chef Vikas Khanna, a famous Indian chef to help them get back on track. Overnight the restaurant is given a makeover of both the inside and outside of the restaurant getting rid of the horrible weird drapes. The next morning the horrible flashing sign is taken down and the new name of the restaurant is revealed. The restaurant is named "Purnima" an authentic Indian name meaning full moon which is now on the awning outside. The staff love the changes. The new menu is revealed and the staff love the taste of the new modern dishes. Gordon tells Martin that he must turn his phone off during that evenings relaunch. To promote the restaurant they go around the city on a double decker with traditional dancing and leaflets and t-shirts to hand out.

For relaunch night, Vikas leads the kitchen whilst Gordon oversees the restaurant. He checks Martin's phone is off before the service starts. The customers are pleased to start with but confusion soon ensues with the waitresses and dishes back up in the kitchen. Customers soon complain that the food they are receiving is cold, as it has been sat waiting to be served. It doesn't take long for the blame to be placed on Martin's failure to organize his staff. Martin however does not try to sort the mess out and is more interested in saying that Gordon has it out for him and is wanting him to fail. Gordon believe Khan run the restaurant asking him to step up, he does step up and proves to be able to manage the restaurant as the food is served hot to happy customers who love the taste. The relaunch is a success but only due to Khan taking over the managerial role. Before Gordon leaves he returns the next day and advises Mohammed to fire one of his staff to be able to keep on Vikas as a consultant. Martin hears the conversation and tells Gordon that he has nothing to feel guilty about. Gordon is astounded and calmly lays into Martin who then quits leaving Mohammed shocked.

What Happened Next?

Martin tried to sue Gordon and prevent the episode from being aired but the case was thrown out of court. Gordon revisits, the place is clean and customers are invited to see the kitchens and how clean they are. However, Purnima closed in 2009, the website however is still active. Vikas Khanna is now at Junoon Restaurant.

Purnima has since become Characters Bar and Lounge and has had an extreme makeover. The reviews are mostly good. Andrew is now a blogger, Huff Post Writer and writes cook books with Vikas.

are you joking?Dillon kitchen before GR intervention is better than most high end restaurant in india

I would suggest that you bring your own food when in india.the hygiene in india is dreadfulwater supply is minimal. people are using the gangga river as the longest toilet in the world, they bathe and prepared food using water from the same river

India is a place of contrasts. they have the poorest of the poor and the richest of the rich. they have slums and they have skyscrapers. they have dirty kitchens and they have clean kitchens. don't you for one second accuse all india of being un-hygienic just because you have only seen documentary's about slums and poverty. you uneducated xenophobic f***** *** **** **** ****. you m********* *** ****** ***** i hope you ******* ******. why dont you just ********* ** ** ***** **** ****.

There is only a small contrast. Most of India is poor and the flies rule as well as rats. There are a few nice places for the well off but if you venture off yourself into Delhi and you find many surprises. The restaurant featured here would be a very nice place in India. Nothing against India. Just what i see with my eyes.

Balls to that. I lived in India for over a decade and a place like this would stand out as one of the grossest things in existence. Even the roadside places where we often stopped during motorbike trips didn't serve rotten food, be it in Himachal Pradesh or down in Kerala.

Sure you're going to find unhygienic things if you go looking for them, but I could just as easily find that in any of the countries I've been to. And I have. India is a huge goddamn country, but just like any other place, it has upsides and downsides. I'd rather sit down and have a good meal with friends in a simple Punjabi restaurant than take even one step inside a place that serves up half a rotted tomato. You want to find nice places in India? There are plenty, and they are damned excellent. And they are leagues and leagues and leagues above what you're describing. I can give you some of their addresses if you like.

So stop talking bullshit and get over your biased self. "Nothing against India" my ass.

My experience is that the hygiene in indian restaurants is quite bad, compared to most countries I've been to. I don't think I've been served rotten food or anything, and not saying they are comparable to this place (Purnima), but almost all the restaurants I´ve been to in India have been decidedly dirtier than european restaurants. Loots of good food, great people, don't mean to discourage anyone from going, but if you fail to see how the hygiene in indian restaurants is generally a lot worse than it is in Europe, you simply haven't been to India, or you are lying. The conditions in most restaurants (and that of street vendors) would not bee up to code in most (if not all) european countries. I have nothing against India, I love it there and would go back today if I could, lots of great culture and food (and the only country where I'd consider being a vegetarian simply because much of the vegetarian food is so good), but you can't fail to see how the hygienic standards (in general, naturally there are exceptions) are nowhere near those of Europe and North America. What next, traffic is just as safe? Just not true! Even some of the best places (going by quality of the food) aren't quite up to snuff (though often far from the worst) compared to most european restaurants, that's just how it is.

Attention, Martin: just because you don't see yourself a certain way doesn't mean every other person will see you that way as well. Stop filing frivolous lawsuits just because your eyes were opened as to how you really are and you didn't like what you saw. : P

At approximately 11:21 into the episode Jenna (waitress) is listening to an ipod, sharing the headphones (an ear bud apiece) with another waitress (older, south asian) who is running her fingers through Martin's hair. Totally creepy and definitely not a "natural thing" as Martin claimed...

First, did anyone notice that Gordon's team misspelled "Dillon's" as "Dillions" on the new canopies that they installed? Second, Martin claims in his lawsuit that he was the general manager of the restaurant's cabaret bar, not the dining area. He said that KN would not show that part of the business or allow him to explain his role in the business.

how on earth do you work that one out? the new canopies included the word "Dillion's", with the extra 'i'. nothing to do with the owners. the error is on the part of either the show or the people they got in to make the new canopies.